This morning I recieved a very saddening phone call from my next door nieghbor Jean,Her husband Lew passed away early this morning.
Lew was a great nieghbor,a good friend,he was like a father to me and "another" grandfather to my boys,Lew and I were very close.
Lew was a Hunter. I never got to hunt with Lew,but I would listen to his stories for hours. He hunted with both a gun and a bow,borrowing a line from Fred Bear he was a "2 Season Hunter". He told me of the old "lemonwood longbow" that he had that "konked me on the noggin" when it broke. Then he had a solid glass 2 piece takedown longbow that he used up untill the 1970's when the "compound bow" era began. Lew and his hunting buddies decided that they needed one of these "new" compound bows,and they all got together and bought them at the same time.(I believe) Lew bought 2 "Allen Original Compounds" 1 for himself and 1 for his son Dan (who does not hunt anymore) Both of these bows have hung on a nail in Lews basement for as long as I have known him. From time to time when I would be practicing with my longbows and recurves out in the back yard he would walk over and remind me that they were "still hanging up down there,and if I wanted them I was welcome to them"
A couple of weeks ago Lew and Jean put there house up for sale and were planning on moveing north to Albany NY to be close to thier daughter. They were talking to me about cleaning out the house and getting rid of things. Again Lew reminded me about the bows and told me "I wish you would take them because I don't want to end up just throwing them out".
I have Lew's old .30-.30 rifle that I bought from him last year and his 16ga. Ithaca DeerSlayer has been promised to my son Kevin. After things are settled I think I will tell Jean that I would like to have those old bows. I will fix them up and practice shooting them (Instictively of coarse LOL) I will hunt with them and even though I never got to hunt with Lew,his bows and his spirit will go hunting with me.
Great Spirit... A Hunter comes to you as Swift and Straight as an arrow shot into the Sun. His name is Lew,and he was my friend. Welcome him to his place at the Eternal Hunter's Campfire and tell him that I will see him again.
Good Bye My Friend..........